Apostille authentication service

Legalising limited company documents so that they're valid overseas is done with an apostille stamp (“apostille” just means certification, in French). The documents are vetted and appraised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and here at Coddan we can handle the application for your company so that you get the results you want and there won't be potential problems down the line that could cause trouble.

There are many reasons why companies might need their important documents legalised, and it's always wise to have them done now and keep them on file should the need arise, so you won't be trying to get them legalised in a rush when you need them – you should be ready for all opportunities. You may, for instance, want to do business in another country, now or in the long term, and you'll need legalised documents to either set up there or do business with trading partners in those jurisdictions.

When the documents receive an apostille stamp, it means they're recognised by the UK authorities as genuine, and therefore assurances can be made to foreign companies or organisations that this is indeed the case. Countries that are signatories to Convention 12 of the Hague Convention agree to recognise documents that have been apostilled in other members' states.

The process of getting private company documents apostilled, however, is not always straightforward, and unless you have lots of time to spare to work on it, it's best to employ the services of top company services agents such as Coddan. For instance, the Legalisation Office at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has to be able to verify that UK stamps and signatures are traceable and can be confirmed.

If that's not possible, the services of a solicitor or notary public may be required - they'll have to first certify that the various documents are true copies.

If you’d like to know more about legalising company documents with an apostille stamp, or to find out which documents you should have legalised, get in touch with us today and our expert business advisors will be pleased to advise.